Nice try on the log partner. Warning, more unsolicited advice:
It looks like you’re trying to curl the log. Try to 1) keep a higher torso angle so there’s more contact with the log, so when you drive your hips forward there’s better force transfer (think front squat) 2) throw your elbows up as explosively as possible to where they are perpendicular to you. For me, the faster my elbows move, the better the clean. I can’t tell in the video, but make sure your arms aren’t flared out - the shorter the distance between your elbows the better the shelf for pressing. 3) You’re going to have to throw your head back to where you’re staring at the ceiling. It’s weird not looking at the log, but don’t look at the log.
Fooking disaster of a session. Ripped my trousers slightly on the first set, no big deal, thought nothing of it. Kept getting worse and worse throughout the cluster until it was an obvious gaping hole that I probably shouldn’t leave on public display. Left the gym after the first cluster and went to finish the session in my garage. Not ideal, but a solution. Got the remaining two clusters done, except the last rep. On the way down on the last rep, I heard a massive rip. Must have been pretty dramatic because it completely threw me off and I collapsed. The rest is pretty much a blur but somehow the bar went over my head and I ended up lying on the floor feeling sorry for myself. No serious damage that I can tell so far, except my whole chest area feels strained and beaten up, as does my ego. Called it there, didn’t think pushing to get supplemental done was smart. Shame, because the squats actually felt surprisingly solid and comfortable up to that point. I could have called about 50% of them paused squats even.
Hehe, thanks for the laughs. I know it sucks in the moment, but that’s one of those stories you will be telling for years. “Hey, remember that time I was squatting in front of all the Big Boys, and my pants ripped and I got stapled to the floor? Good Times.”
Extremely odd pair of shorts to workout in. I wear birddog shorts everyday I’m not working and I also workout in them. They are the best shorts on the planet nd have normal shorts pockets. I suggest those.
@Cyrrex luckily, I waited until I got to my home gym to get stapled. I’m not stupid enough to do that when there’s safeties in place.
@ChickenLittle thanks Chicken. Pretty sure I’ll live, although it seems I’ll be discovering new bruises and aches for a while yet.
@boyce79 I have a habit of breaking trousers, not usualky in the gym though. I deliberately buy non-work trousers too big now just in the hope they might last a few extra months.
@Frank_C I’ve tried most types of trousers (apart from Guineapig style tights), and I break all of them.
@alex_uk They were cheap Tescos own brand combats. Deliberately 3 sizes too big so they might last a bit longer
@wanna_be I don’t really do shorts. I might have to give them a try, but I’m not really a fan.
@doomyguy thanks man. It’s good to be humbled sometimes.
After a bit of reflection: now I know not to fail squats without safeties because it hurts. But on the plus side: it looks like I’m still improving my squat without hammering it because most of the reps leading up to the fail were solid, easily the most stable I’ve ever been at that weight.
Equal or beat last years “fake meet” numbers in the other 3 lifts (140kg squat, 100kg bench, 160kg deadlift)
Plan:
4 Lifting days a week (some will get missed due to “life”, that’s ok, as long as it isn’t my main press day); Press day, deadlift day, push press day and squat day. Each day I’ll have the main movement with a basic progression model, supplemental movements which will be rotated as I see fit and accessories as laid out below.
Press Day:
531 press with plus sets, and BBS supplemental.
Accessories: triceps, shoulders
Deadlift Day:
Kroc Deadlift program
Supplemental: deadlift variation to hit hamstrings
Accessories: upper back, core, hamstrings (probably loaded carries
Push press day:
Push press: Hepburn “B” program
Supplemental: Pressing to hit shoulders and upper chest (inclines/Z-press etc.)
Accessories: upper back, upper chest, triceps, shoulders
Squat day:
Squats (alternating weeks of Periodisation bible for volume work and clusters for practise with heavier weights)
Supplemental: squat variation based on core stability (front squat/paused squats/overhead squats if I’m feeling kinky)
Accessories: core, quads.
I appreciate the compliment, but I only finished the first cluster set with my arse hanging out in a commercial gym. I left the gym and went to my garage to complete the other two clusters.
I also wouldn’t describe it as failure, I don’t really know what happened to be honest, it’s a total blank. I was squatting thinking “this is so much easier and more stable than I expected, I’ve really salvaged this session”, then next thing I know I’m nearly on the floor with the bar wrapped round my neck trying not to headbutt the metal that holds the squat stands together.
I think it’s the universes way of telling me not to do front squats.
But yeah they can be tricky. 2 years ago, during heavy 7 secs paused front squats (yeah…) they blocked a vein on my shoulder. Head started spining, vision whitened out, legs shaking, and the concentruc was a 5 secs nightmare. Then my session was over. Could not lift over 70% of 1rm
